EP0099953B1 - Rectangular bale press - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates generally to rectangular balers. Existing rectangular balers generally comprise a chassis provided with wheels, intended to be coupled behind a tractor vehicle, usually an agricultural tractor, by means of a drawbar or a drawbar. The collector of these presses is then oriented transversely to the direction of movement, and means such as a rotary or alternating feeder or a conveyor screw are provided for supplying, from this collector, a chamber or a compression channel oriented in the longitudinal direction of the press and in which the harvested harvested products, such as fodder, are compressed to be then bound in a rectangular bale by a tying system. The bales are ejected from the back of the press.

These conventional type presses have a number of drawbacks. Thus, they have a chassis equipped with wheels and a coupling arrow, which increases their cost price. Furthermore, their size, especially in length, is far from negligible. In addition, due to their method of connection to the towing vehicle and. their position in relation to it during work, a change of position of the drawbar is each time required to pass from the working position on the field to the position of movement on the road and vice versa. The operation of these presses is also delicate. Indeed, the driver of the towing vehicle must, during work, monitor by looking backwards the work of the press coupled behind his vehicle, which as is easily understood represents an additional load for driving this vehicle. When traveling on the road, it is also difficult to steer over a fairly long distance a team comprising for example a tractor, a baler and a trailer, that is to say a succession of three vehicles connected between them by two joints. Finally, given their arrangement, such presses are generally coupled only to an agricultural tractor.

It has already been proposed (FR-A-2 016 313 and DE-A-1 936 056) to produce rectangular balers provided, behind a pick-up, with a compression chamber oriented transversely to the frame of the press , this compression chamber comprising an orifice oriented towards the collector and supply means being provided for ensuring the transverse movement of the harvested products picked up by the lateral parts of the collector towards this orifice for entry into the compression chamber. These balers, of shorter length, are equipped at their front with members allowing connection to the three-point hitch system of an agricultural tractor and remain directly behind the tractor to which they are coupled during work.

However, these known rectangular balers, although of shorter length, are also equipped with carrying wheels and thus constitute machines intended to be coupled to the rear of an agricultural tractor and to be towed by it, of so that the disadvantages of the previously mentioned presses are only partially eliminated. In addition, given their position behind the tractor during work, the picking width is limited to the spacing between the wheels of the tractor, since otherwise the harvested crop products would be crushed by the passage of the wheels.

The object of the invention is to remedy the aforementioned drawbacks by producing a rectangular baler which can be carried by a tractor or else a machine or an agricultural vehicle, thereby avoiding the problems of coupling and space and the maneuvering difficulties generally encountered with existing machines.

The invention therefore relates to a rectangular baler of the type comprising a frame carrying at its front part a pick-up device oriented transversely to the direction of advance of the press, a compression chamber also oriented transversely, provided on this chassis behind this pick-up device when we consider the direction of movement of the press during work, this compression chamber having an inlet for harvesting products oriented towards this pick-up, supply means making the products converge harvest picked up by this pickup towards this orifice for their penetration into the compression chamber, means for compressing the harvested products in this compression chamber, a bale binding system formed by these compression means and a device for connection to a three-point linkage of tractor or agricultural machine or vehicle, characterized in that this device for ra Connection to this three-point hitch is provided at the rear part of the press frame and in that the press thus coupled to the tractor or the like is supported from this three-point hitch.

According to an advantageous arrangement, this device for connecting to the three-point hitch of a tractor or an agricultural machine is arranged towards the middle of the width of the rear part of the frame of the press, by substantially carrying out a lateral balancing of this compared to this three point hitch.

Since the heaviest parts of the press, such as the compression chamber, the compression piston and the main chassis are then directed towards the tractor, while the lighter pickup is located at the front of the press, the moment exerted by the assembly on the tractor three-point hitch system or the machine is relatively small, and thus the press can be easily carried by the tractor or the machine, without the need for load wheels.

When the chassis of the press is connected to a three-point hitch of an agricultural tractor, for example, the baler according to the invention thus constitutes a mounted assembly secured to the tractor.

According to an embodiment which appears to be successful, the supply means provided between the pick-up device and the product inlet orifice in the compression chamber can be constituted by two conveying elements extending in a convergent arrangement from points close to the ends of the pick-up device up to points close to the sides of the product inlet orifice in the compression chamber.

These conveyor elements can in particular be constituted by endless conveyor belts passing around rollers with a vertical axis provided at the points mentioned above, at least one of the rollers of each conveyor being positively driven in order to improve the transport effect. exerted by the conveyor belts these may be provided on their outer faces with drive means such as teeth, preferably flexible, asperities or equivalent means.

Due to the arrangement of the compression chamber transversely to the direction of movement of the press, the bales are discharged laterally after their binding.

According to an advantageous arrangement, the compression means conventionally combined with the compression chamber are placed on one side of the frame of the press, towards one end of the compression chamber. These means can be of any type. Thus, they can be formed if desired by a piston whose reciprocating movement is ensured by a hydraulic cylinder or by a crank and rod system for example.

The press binding system is then provided on the side of the press opposite the compression device. It comprises in the usual manner the binder and knotters, which can be of any type.

According to an arrangement that seems judicious, the compression means are provided on one side of the press behind the pick-up device and the frame of the press extends laterally on the opposite side beyond this pick-up device, for the lateral unloading of bales trained and linked. The tying system can then be provided in this part of the chassis extending laterally beyond this pickup device, and this lateral projecting part of the chassis can also be arranged in order to serve as a reserve for the tying string or the link. equivalent used.

The driving of the movable members of the press can be ensured judiciously from a primary shaft provided at the rear part of the frame of the press and to which the various drive and transmission mechanisms are connected, which can be of conventional type . This primary shaft can then be connected to the PTO shaft of the agricultural tractor or other vehicle to which the mounted baler is connected by a three-point hitch.

It is understood from reading the above that the baler carried according to the invention overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art. The production of a chassis fitted with a device for connecting to a three-point hitch is less costly than that of a chassis fitted with a carrying train. In addition, the size of the baler is reduced and its connection to a tractor or other vehicle allows easier driving on the road, while work in the field is easier, since the driver can monitor this. work while driving and looking forward.

It will also be noted that the arrangement according to the invention makes it possible to connect a baler not only to an agricultural tractor, but also to other types of agricultural machinery, such as a self-propelled combine harvester, a chopper- self-propelled loader or a harvester-chopper-loader coupled to a tractor, the baler being in this case in a substantially lateral position with respect to the tractor taking into account the usual arrangement of harvester-choppers-loaders of this type. In this case, the machines are simply fitted with a front three-point hitch. It should also be noted that the baler could, if necessary, be connected to the rear three-point hitch of a tractor equipped with a reverse gear. All these possibilities represent of course advantages for the use of the press.

• La Figure 1 est une vue schématique en plan d'une presse à balles correspondant à un mode de réalisation de l'invention.
• La Figure 2 est une représentation schématique montrant la presse à balles raccordée à un attelage trois points prévu à la partie avant d'un tracteur agricole.

The description which follows, made with reference to the appended drawings, given without limitation, will allow a better understanding of the invention.

• Figure 1 is a schematic plan view of a baler corresponding to an embodiment of the invention.
• Figure 2 is a schematic representation showing the baler connected to a three-point hitch provided on the front part of an agricultural tractor.

The rectangular baler according to the invention comprises a chassis generally designated by the reference 1 and simply indicated in phantom in FIG. 1, this chassis being formed in a conventional manner by transverse beams joined by longitudinal members to form a unitary structure. This chassis 1 carries at its rear part a device 2 for connection to a three-point hitch of agricultural tractor or other carrier vehicle, this device comprising in a usual manner pins 3 intended to cooperate with the lower bars and the upper bar a classic three-point hitch.

There is a transverse pick-up on the front part of the chassis 1 and on one side of it generally indicates in 4 and which may be of the conventional type, this pickup being delimited laterally by cheeks or plates 5 slightly convergent for the recovery of harvested products, in particular fodder on the ground.

The upper part of the transversely oriented pick-up 4 extends rearwards, above the chassis, by a bottom 6 on which the harvested products can slide during their transfer from the pick-up and their compression to form rectangular bales.

There is provided on the chassis 1, above this bottom 6 and at the rear part of the press, a compression chamber or channel designated by the reference 7, which is formed between a vertical rear wall 8 and a front wall also vertical 9. This compression chamber 7 has at its front part an orifice 10 for the entry of harvested products, which is located in the present case substantially in a median position relative to the width of the pickup 4. This orifice 10 has a width clearly less than that of the pickup 4. To bring the harvested harvested products, sliding on the bottom 6, to this orifice 10 and to make them enter the compression chamber 7, there are provided according to the invention two lateral conveyors 11 arranged symmetrically with respect to the inlet orifice 10 and extending in a convergence relationship from points adjacent to the lateral cheeks 5 of the pick-up 4 to the sides of the orifice 10, so as to also convergethe harvested products picked up towards the orifice 10 from the entire transverse extent of the pickup 4.

These conveyors 11 have only been shown schematically in the drawing. They advantageously each consist of an endless conveyor belt 12 passing over rollers with a vertical axis 13, at least one of the rollers of each conveyor belt being positively driven. Said conveyor belts 12 have flexible teeth 14 on their outside faces which encourage the harvesting of the harvested products from the pick-up 4 towards the orifice 10.

In Fig. 1, there is shown at 15 the piston for compressing the harvested products in order to form bales in the chamber 7. This piston is, in itself conventional, slidably mounted in this chamber, in order to be able to undergo a displacement back and forth. The control of the piston is, according to the embodiment shown, ensured by a hydraulic cylinder indicated schematically at 16. Although there is provided on the press a cylinder with rectilinear movement, it goes without saying that the press could also be equipped another piston driving device, for example a crank and connecting rod system driven from a rotary shaft.

As shown, at rest, the piston 15 is returned to an erasing position inside a guide 17, so as to completely clear the inlet orifice 10 provided for the harvested products. The piston stroke is studied to compress the harvested products with a view to forming a bale in the transverse compression chamber 7 on the other side of the orifice 10 relative to the guide 17.

It is understood that, in the baler according to the invention, the unloading of the bales formed is carried out laterally as indicated by arrow 18. This lateral unloading takes account of the mounting of the press at the front part of a carrier vehicle as indicated below.

In Fig. 1, there is shown schematically in 19 the knotters of the press binding system, which has not been illustrated in more detail since it can be of the conventional type and that its production is well known to technicians specialized in this field. field.

According to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the part of the chamber 7 in which the binding takes place before the ejection of the bale at 18 projects laterally with respect to the pick-up 4. The part of the chassis which is located in front of this chamber 7 and next to the pick-up 4 here constitutes a reserve of twine or link 20, as it is normally present on balers to allow the binding of a large number of bales of crop products.

The driving of the moving parts of the baler, in particular of the pick-up 4, of the conveyors 11, of the pump supplying the hydraulic cylinder 16 or of the equivalent drive device and of the binding system, is ensured by mechanisms and transmissions in themselves conventional and which will therefore not be described in detail, from a primary shaft 21 which, as visible in FIG. 1, is directed towards the rear relative to the chassis 1. This primary shaft is intended to be connected to the PTO shaft of an agricultural tractor or of another carrier vehicle.

There is shown schematically at 22, in FIG. 2, an agricultural tractor equipped at its front part with a three-point hitch 23 usually comprising lower bars 24 and an upper bar 25 as well as the conventional lifting means.

The mounted square baler which is the subject of the invention is indicated diagrammatically at 26. It can be seen that it is connected by its connection device 2 to the three-point hitch 23 of the agricultural tractor, so that the assembly formed by this tractor and by the press constitutes a unitary unit of relatively easy maneuvering when traveling on the road.

It can also be seen on examining FIG. 2 that, during work, the tractor operator can look normally in the running direction of the latter while monitoring the work of the press, without having to turn around as is the case when a press is coupled to the rear of a tractor in the usual way. The primary shaft 21 of the press (not shown in FIG. 2) is then connected by an intermediate shaft, also not shown because of the conventional type in itself, to the front PTO shaft of the tractor 22.

During work, the balls formed in the press 26 are ejected laterally at 18, that is to say outside the size of the tractor, so that they do not hinder the progress thereof, and they can then be picked up and loaded in an independent trailer or hitched to the rear of the tractor. In the latter case, the assembly formed by the tractor 22, with the press 26, and by the trailer constitutes a simple coupling which is easier to maneuver when traveling on the road.

As indicated previously, the mounted rectangular baler 26 could be connected to agricultural machines other than a tractor, equipped with a three-point hitch at their front part. The only modification required could, in this case, concern the position of the primary shaft of the press or of a PTO shaft of the machine, and if necessary the side of ejection of the bales from the press.

Claims (8)

1. A rectangular bale baler of the type comprising a chassis (1) which in its front part carries a pick-up means (4) which is oriented transversely with respect to the direction of forward movement of the baler, a compression chamber (7) which is also oriented in the transverse direction and provided on said chassis rearwardly of said pick-up means (4) when considering the direction of movement of the baler when operating, said compression chamber (7) having an intake orifice (10) for the crop materials, said orifice being directed towards said pick-up mans (4), feed means (11) causing said crop materials picked up by said pick-up means (4) to converge towards said orifice for them to pass into the compression chamber (7), means (15) for compressing the crop materials in said compression chamber (7), a system (19) for binding the bales formed by said compression means and a device (2) for connection to a three-point coupling (23) on an agricultural vehicle or machine or tractor, characterised in that said device (2) for connection to said three-point coupling (23) is provided at the rearward part of the chassis (1) of the baler and that the baler when thus coupled to the tractor or the like is supported from said three-point coupling (23).

2. A rectangular bale baler according to claim 1 characterised in that said connecting device (2) is disposed towards the centre of the width of the rearward part of the chassis (1) of the baler.

3. A rectangular bale baler according to claim 1 or claim 2 characterised in that said feed means comprise two conveyor elements (11) which extend in a converging relationship from points adjacent to the ends of the pick-up means (4) to points adjacent to the sides of the orifice (10) for entry of the crop materials into the compression chamber (7).

4. A rectangular bale baler according to claim 3 characterised in that said conveyor elements (11) are each formed by an endless conveyor belt (12) which passes around rollers (13) with their axes vertical and which are provided at said points, one at least of the rollers (13) of each conveyor being positively driven.

5. A rectangular bale baler according to claim 4 characterised in that on their outside faces the conveyor belts (12) comprise entrainment means such as teeth (14) which are preferably flexible, roughnesses or equivalent means.

6. A rectangular bale baler according to claim 1 characterised in that the compression means comprise a piston (15) which is displaced with an alternating movement by a hydraulic jack.

7. A rectangular bale baler according to claim 6 characterised in that the compression means (15) are provided on one side of the baler behind the pick-up means (4), that the chassis (1) of the baler and the binding system (9) extend laterally beyond the pick-up means (4) on the side of the baler which is opposite to the compression means (15) for lateral discharge of the formed and bound bales, and that the lateral projecting part of the chassis (1) of the baler is arranged to constitute a binding twine store (20).

8. A rectangular bale baler according to any one of the preceding claims characterised in that the movable members of the baler are driven from a primary shaft (21) which is provided in the rearward part of the chassis (1) and to which the various drive and transmission mechanisms are connected, which primary shaft can be connected to the front power take-off shaft of the agricultural tractor or other vehicle to which the baler is connected.

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